Table 1.
Subject characteristics
| Young sedentary | Older sedentary | Older trained | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 22 ± 1 | 62 ± 2* | 66 ± 1* |
| Body mass (kg) | 73 ± 3 | 79 ± 3 | 70 ± 2 |
| Body fat (%) | 15.4 ± 2.2 | 27.3 ± 2.6* | 16.9 ± 1.1† |
| BMI (kg m−2) | 23.3 ± 0.9 | 25.6 ± 1.0 | 22.8 ± 0.6† |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 78.8 ± 2.4 | 94.8 ± 3.1* | 82.8 ± 1.8† |
| Hip circumference (cm) | 93.0 ± 1.7 | 99.9 ± 1.9* | 93.4 ± 1.4† |
| WHR | 0.84 ± 0.01 | 0.95 ± 0.02* | 0.89 ± 0.02† |
| Total cholesterol (mmol l−1) | 4.5 ± 0.2 | 5.1 ± 0.2 | 5.0 ± 0.2 |
| LDL cholesterol (mmol l−1) | 2.7 ± 0.2 | 3.3 ± 0.2 | 3.0 ± 0.2 |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol l−1) | 1.2 ± 0.1 | 1.3 ± 0.1 | 1.6 ± 0.1*† |
| Triglycerides (mmol l−1) | 1.2 ± 0.2 | 1.1 ± 0.1 | 0.86 ± 0.1 |
| Plasma insulin (μIU ml−1) | 3.7 ± 0.5 | 6.3 ± 1.0* | 3.3 ± 0.5† |
| Plasma glucose (mmol l−1) | 4.9 ± 0.1 | 5.3 ± 0.2 | 4.8 ± 0.1 |
| V̇O2 max | 48.0 ± 1.3 | 29.1 ± 2.1* | 41.3 ± 1.2*† |
| BV (dyn cm−2) | 0.036 ± 0.001 | 0.033 ± 0.002 | 0.036 ± 0.003 |
| Haematocrit (%) | 45.0 ± 0.8 | 44.4 ± 1.1 | 43.8 ± 0.7 |
Data are means ± s.e.m. BMI, body mass index; WHR, waist-to-hip ratio; V̇O2 max, maximal oxygen consumption; BV, blood viscosity (1 dyn = 10−5 N).
*
P < 0.05 versus young;
†
P < 0.05 versus older sedentary.